Welcome to the final edition of Bonggamom's Friday Finds for 2010. It has been a pleasure hosting this linky and seeing the traffic to your giveaways grow. Man, you all have such awesome prizes, you make it so easy for me and everyone else to find giveaways to enter! I hope you'll keep coming back here every Friday, both to leave links and to use links.

Happy New Year, and may 2011 be filled with even more of the Bestest Giveaways Around the Blogosphere!

Welcome to Day 7 of my 12 Days of Christmas giveaway series! Yesterday was 3Po and Jammy's 7th birthday, so I'm sticking with the Boys Toys theme and giving away a Beyblade Super Vortex Battle Set! Litzy PR sent us this great toy from Hasbro to review last week, and since we spent Christmas in Lake Tahoe I let the boys open it up the day before we left. It was like Christmas had arrived a day early! They loved playing with the set and we could barely get them into the car because they couldn't stop.

If you've ever spun a top, you'll know how to play with the Beyblade Super Vortex Battle Set -- except this is like tops updated for the 21st century. The set comes with two tops, two launchers and a circular battle arena you launch the tops into. You and your opponent launch your tops into the arena, and the last top spinning wins. The battle arena is concave, so at some point the tops will make contact, and knock each other off their perfect spins. You can buy other Beyblade tops, and choose the top you think will have the best chance of beating your opponent's top. Each top is different (some spin clockwise, others counterclockwise, they are shaped a bit differently, etc..) and you can launch it in different ways (i.e. directly at your opponent, to the side, directly onto the arena surface, drop it from a height, etc...) so it's up to you to figure out your winning combination. It's a lot of fun!

Required entry:Visit the Hasbro Beyblade online shop, then come back here and leave a comment telling me which Beyblade product your son (or nephew or niece or grandson or granddaughter or godchild or you!) would love to play with.

Extra EntriesFor extra entries, you can do any or all of the following. Please leave a separate comment on this post for each extra entry, with a way to verify the entry (i.e. tweet link, blog post link, blog comment link, Facebook id, Twitter id, etc.).

5) Join any of my other 12 Days of Christmas giveaways (leave a comment with the name of the giveaway you joined, 1 entry per giveaway you've joined).

This giveaway ends at midnight PST on January 12, 2011; I will draw a winner at random on January 13 and post the winner's name as soon as the winner confirms acceptance. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

Disclaimer: I received a product sample for review purposes. Thanks to Litzky PR for providing a review sample and a second product for this giveaway. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Welcome to Day 6 of my 12 Days of Christmas giveaway series! Today is my sons' 7th birthday, so in their honor I'm giving away something that's right up their alley -- a Nerf N-Strike Deploy CS-6 blaster!

As any of you with sons know, little boys love to playact, and sometimes the way they try to assert some form of control over their playmates, their environment and themselves is with imaginary weapons. It's a classic (and true) story that a boy can turn anything into a gun or a sword -- a stick, a grilled cheese sandwich, a toilet paper roll.

See 3Po gazing longingly at the Nerf display at our local Target. He'd ask for the whole lot for his birthday if he thought he could get away with it.

We don't have firearms in the house and we don't allow violent movies or videogames. We talk about the dangers of guns and violence quite openly, so I'm not overly worried when my boys play with gun-like toys, as long as they are fantasy guns that do not resemble real guns (i.e. water guns or foam blasters).

The Deploy gets its name because it can be put into flashlight mode and with the push of a button it deploys into a pump action blaster. That's kind of a relief for me, because you're obviously in fantasy realm when you've got a flashlight that turns into a gun. The neon yellow-and-orange color combo and the foam darts also help keep it from getting too real.

It's still a pretty macho-looking toy, though, so we've given the boys strict instructions never to point at people's faces. Instead, we've set up a makeshift shooting gallery in our hallway, where they try to knock down little toy figures and a plastic ball tied to a string. It's so much fun!

I do have a few "Blah" points I need to mention -- the little foam darts bend way too easily, and once they're bent they are pretty much useless (they don't shoot out properly, and they cause the next dart to jam). The Deploy only comes with 6 darts so unless you put the fear of God in them about losing or breaking the darts, you'll want to buy more. And you have to buy a very specific kind of dart (Clip Darts), which only work with Nerf guns that use clip magazines, which means they don't work with many other Nerf guns. But other than that, I really have no complaints. The boys are playing with this toy very responsibly (not pointing it at anyone's face, etc..) and they really are having a (pardon the pun) blast playing with it!

And guess which little boy is having the most fun?

Required entry:Leave a comment on this post sharing your favorite memory playing with a Nerf gun or water gun. This entry must be completed before any extra entries count.

Extra EntriesFor extra entries, you can do any or all of the following. Please leave a separate comment on this post for each extra entry, with a way to verify the entry (i.e. tweet link, blog post link, blog comment link, Facebook id, Twitter id, etc.).

I entered Day 6 of the 12 Days of Christmas giveaways on Bonggamom Finds -- a Nerf N-Strike Deploy CS-6 blaster! http://tinyurl.com/bonggaxmas

4) Follow Bonggamom Finds on Blogger (1 entry).

5) Tweet this, up to once per day (1 entry per day, leave a comment with the tweet link for each tweet):

Day 6 of 12 Days of Christmas Giveaways on @bonggafinds: enter to win a Nerf N-Strike Deploy CS-6 blaster! http://tinyurl.com/bonggaxmas

6) Join any of my other 12 Days of Christmas giveaways (leave a comment with the name of the giveaway you joined, 1 entry per giveaway you've joined).

This giveaway ends at midnight PST on January 11, 2011; I will draw a winner at random on January 12 and post the winner's name as soon as the winner confirms acceptance. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

Disclaimer: I received a product sample to facilitate my review. I did not receive any financial compensation for the review or giveaway. Thanks to Litzky PR for providing the giveaway prize. Product information is supplied by Litzky PR and is clearly indicated in italics. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Welcome to Day 5 of my 12 Days of Christmas giveaway series! Today I'm giving away a super-cool dinosaur robot: Blazor, the raging raptor from iloveRobot. iLoveRobots is the toy brand of Bossa Nova Robotics, a consumer robotics company known for their incredibly dynamic and interactive robots like the Penbo Penguin and the Prime-8 Gorilla. This is no ordinary remote-control toy -- Blazor has sensors that help him avoid obstacles, go into attack mode when someone gets too near, fight with other robots, or freak out when you hold him too long!

Here's more information about Blazor:This raging raptor is a swift and sly high-tech dino who hunts and defends at your command! With maximum speed, Blazor goes from 'Search & Destroy' mode, where he instinctively explores his environment, tracks down his prey and attacks, to 'Guard' mode, becoming a silent and obedient protector who growls at intruders then spins and roars to drive them away, to ‘Direct Control’ mode, where the owner controls the raptor’s every move - where he goes, when he stops, and when he strikes.

Each of Blazor’s three modes offers kids hours of fun as Blazor interacts with his owner and environment. His advanced intelligence and built-in sensors means that he can avoid obstacles, detect movement, play with other Blazors (or even Prime-8!) and obey controller commands. Owners can also control Blazor’s mood through his jaw, tapping or holding it to wake him up, rile him up and calm him back down. But if it's held too long, Blazor might fight back! Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and online. For more information and retailer locations, visit www.iloverobots.com.

Here's a video showing how Blazor works:

Required entry:Leave a comment on this post and tell me how you would play with the iloveRobots Blazor if you won him.

Extra EntriesFor extra entries, you can do any or all of the following. Please leave a separate comment on this post for each extra entry, with a way to verify the entry (i.e. tweet link, blog post link, blog comment link, Facebook id, Twitter id, etc.).

I entered Day 5 of the 12 Days of Christmas giveaways on Bonggamom Finds! Enter by Jan. 10 to win an iloveRobots Blazor, the raging raptor robot! http://tinyurl.com/bonggaxmas

4) Follow Bonggamom Finds on Blogger (1 entry).

5) Follow BNRobotics on Twitter and tweet this, up to once per day (1 entry per day, leave a comment with the tweet link for each tweet):

Day 5 of 12 Days of Christmas Giveaways on @bonggafinds: enter to win an iloveRobots Blazor from @BNRobotics! http://tinyurl.com/bonggaxmas

6) Join any of my other 12 Days of Christmas giveaways (leave a comment with the name of the giveaway you joined, 1 entry per giveaway you've joined).

This giveaway ends at midnight PST on January 10, 2011; I will draw a winner at random on January 11 and post the winner's name as soon as the winner confirms acceptance. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

Disclaimer: I did not receive any review samples or other form of compensation for this giveaway. Thanks to Litzky PR for providing the giveaway prize. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Nothing says Christmas Cheer like a big, green, stinky old grouch. And no, I'm not talking about Oscar, or even the Grinch. The honor goes to everyone's favorite ogre, Shrek -- or to be more precise, Shrek the Musical, the stage adaptation of the movie that's already getting rave reviews. We were invited to watch a show of Shrek the Musical in San Francisco's Orpheum Theatre, and everyone who saw it agreed that it was the perfect show to take your family to over the holidays.

Shrek the Musical is based on the first movie, where Shrek meets Donkey, frees Princess Fiona from her tower, saves her from marriage to Lord Farquaad and finds his One True Love. If you've seen any of the 4 Shrek movies, you'll know that this is a film that can be enjoyed on so many levels. Kids love the funny storybook characters, while grownups appreciate the witty references to contemporary culture (I loved the not-so-subtle homages to the "Defying Gravity" number from Wicked and the Lion King's "Circle of Life") and sly digs at traditional fairytale characters and storylines.

I thought they did a great job migrating the characters from the movie onto the stage. It's not easy to make real live people look like cartoons, but with the help of some colorful costumes and ingenious props (my kids loved how Pinocchio's nose actually grew longer when he told lies!), they came pretty darn close. For some characters, they didn't even try -- Gingie the gingerbread man was basically a puppet on a tray, carried around by one of the 3 Bears, who also did Gingie's voice like a ventriloquist.

But the best cartoon-to-real-life transformation award would have to go to tiny little Lord Farquaad’s legs -- the actor plays Lord Farquaad is on his knees the whole time to make him look short, and a pair of fake puppet legs is attached to his waist. The things he does with his fake legs -- crossing them, doing flying leaps, tippytoeing across the stage -- are absolutely hilarious. Those legs stole the show!

My kids are notoriously difficult to please when it comes to movies and shows -- they are either bored or so emotionally invested (i.e. scared, happy, moved, etc..) that they end up in tears or in fear of nightmares. But Shrek the Musical hit just the right mix of humor, adventure and entertainment; they absolutely loved it! I highly recommend this show -- as Shrek sings in his final number, "I'm a Believer"!

Shrek The Musical is currently playing at San Francisco's Orpheum Theatre until January 2, and will be touring major cities across the US in 2011. Click here to see the complete Shrek The Music tour schedule and to buy tickets to the show.

Disclosure: I received 4 complimentary tickets to see Shrek the Musical with my kids, but was not paid to review the show or give my opinions. Show information is provided by the featured company/product and is clearly indicated as such. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Welcome to Day 4 of my 12 Days of Christmas giveaway series! No doubt you're already thinking about what to wear for New Year's Eve, and it's likely to be something bright and shiny to party in! But what to wear underneath that fab party dress that gives you coverage and support? That's where Kymaro comes in, with products like the Backless Bra and the Bust Up Cup!

1 Kymaro Backless Bra, which is strapless and backless to give you support under those barely there outfits. Unlike other brands, this one has a fabric cup, not sticky silicone!

* 1 pair Kymaro Bust Up Cups, which lift and support, create a deep, sexy cleavage and can increase your cup size by one to two sizes.

Required entry:Leave a comment on this post and tell me the biggest challenge you face when you shop for underwear! This entry must be completed before any extra entries will count.

Extra EntriesFor extra entries, you can do any or all of the following. Please leave a separate comment on this post for each extra entry, with a way to verify the entry (i.e. tweet link, blog post link, blog comment link, Facebook id, Twitter id, etc.).

I entered Day 4 of the 12 Days of Christmas giveaways on Bonggamom Finds! Ends Jan. 9http://tinyurl.com/bonggaxmas

3) Follow Bonggamom Finds on Blogger (1 entry).

4) Follow Kymaro on Twitter and tweet this, up to once per day (1 entry per day, leave a comment with the tweet link for each tweet):

Day 4 of 12 Days of Christmas Giveaways on @bonggafinds: enter to win an Essential Underthings prize pack from @kymaro Ends Jan. 9 http://tinyurl.com/bonggaxmas #giveaway

5) Write this on the Kymaro Facebook Page wall (1 entry):I joined Day 4 of 12 Days of Christmas Giveaways on Bonggamom Finds! You can enter too, for the chance to win an Essential Underthings prize pack (Backless Bra and Bust Up Cups) from Kymaro! Ends Jan. 9 http://tinyurl.com/bonggaxmas #giveaway

6) Join any of my other open 12 Days of Christmas giveaways (leave a comment with the name of the giveaway you joined, 1 entry per giveaway you've joined).

This giveaway ends at midnight PST on January 9, 2011; I will draw a winner at random on January 10 and post the winner's name as soon as the winner confirms acceptance. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

Disclaimer: I did not receive a review sample or any other form of compensation for this giveaway. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Check out the cool hat they sent me to review:Their Three-Button Stylish Hat looks so amazing on The Pea, and it's nice and warm so it's perfect for the cold weather! It's a one-size-fits-all hat, which means it's way too tight for my ginormous head, but I think it would fit most women's heads comfortably. It's very well made, and the three buttons running down one side give it such a nice, jaunty air. We love this hat!

Required entry:Visit www.CoverYourHair.com , then leave a comment on this post telling me which item you would love to see inside the $25 surprise box! This entry must be completed before any extra entries will count.

Extra EntriesFor extra entries, you can do any or all of the following. Please leave a separate comment on this post for each extra entry, with a way to verify the entry (i.e. tweet link, blog post link, blog comment link, Facebook id, Twitter id, etc.).

This giveaway ends at midnight PST on January 8, 2011; I will draw a winner at random on January 9 and post the winner's name as soon as the winner confirms acceptance. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

Disclaimer: I have received product samples and reviewed this product in the past. I did not receive any form of compensation for this giveaway. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Welcome to Day 2 of my 12 Days of Christmas giveaway series! It's a big, exciting day for me, because this is my very first Playmobil giveaway -- today I'm giving away a Playmobil Mini Take Along Pirates Dungeon!

We have been big fans of Playmobil long before we received our first Playmobil set for review (a Playmobil Wildlife Care Station). I've always said that a Playmobil play set is a wonderful investment for your child because it's durable, there are so many themes to choose from, it can be combined with other Playmobil play sets, it's great for girls and boys, and it holds their interest for a long time.

Come to think of it, I don't even need to use the word "investment" from that statement, because with Playmobil's Mini Take Along sets, your child can own a proper Playmobil set for just $12.99! We received the Knights Take Along Tower and the Pirates Take Along Dungeon sets earlier this month, and they are a welcome addition to our Playmobil collection.

Here's a description of the Take Along Tower:Have fun on the go with the Knights Take Along Tower. Includes two figures, working cannon, and many accessories that can be placed in the tower’s storage compartment. This toy is recommended for kids ages four and up. The suggested retail price is $12.99. Warning. Choking Hazard. Small parts. Not for children under 3 years.

Here's a description of the Take Along Dungeon:Have fun on the go with the Pirates Take Along Dungeon. Includes two figures, monkey, working cannon, and many other accessories that can be placed in the dungeon’s storage compartment. Recommended for ages four and up. Suggested Retail Price: $12.99 Warning. Choking Hazard. Small parts. Not for children under 3 years.

I really love the portability of this set -- you can store all the pieces in the storage compartments and use the handle to take it anywhere! Just remember to put the smallest pieces in a ziploc sandwich bag, and you can take these play sets in the car, on the plane and anywhere you're traveling this holiday season.

Required entry:Leave a comment on this post and tell me which Playmobil themes -- Knights, Pirates, Dragon Land, Magic Castle, African Wildlife, Zoo, Life in the City and more -- your child would most enjoy. This entry must be completed before any extra entries will count.

Extra EntriesFor extra entries, you can do any or all of the following. Please leave a separate comment on this post for each extra entry, with a way to verify the entry (i.e. tweet link, blog post link, blog comment link, Facebook id, Twitter id, etc.).

I entered Day 2 of the 12 Days of Christmas giveaways on Bonggamom Finds! You can enter too -- the prize is an awesome Playmobil Mini Take Along Pirate Dungeon! http://www.bonggamom.com

3) Follow Bonggamom Finds on Blogger (1 entry).

4) Tweet this, up to once per day (1 entry per day, leave a comment with the tweet link for each tweet):

Day 2 of 12 Days of Christmas Giveaways on @bonggafinds: enter to win a Playmobil Mini Take Along set! http://www.bonggamom.com #giveaway

5) Join any of my other 12 Days of Christmas giveaways (leave a comment with the name of the giveaway you joined, 1 entry per giveaway you've joined).

This giveaway ends at midnight PST on January 7, 2011; I will draw a winner at random on January 8 and post the winner's name as soon as the winner confirms acceptance. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

Disclaimer: I received Playmobil samples to facilitate my review. I did not receive financial compensation for this post or giveaway. Thanks to Litzky PR for providing the giveaway prize. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Merry Christmas, and welcome to Day 1 of my 12 Days of Christmas giveaway series! Today I'm giving away the best Christmas present ever to one lucky Bonggamom Finds reader: a Leapster Explorer Camera and Video Recorder from Leapfrog! We were sent one to review and we've been playing with it for about a week. Here's what we think of it:

• Take, edit and store up to 1,000 pictures• Stretch, stamp and draw on pictures to create personalized snapshots or use them in activities• Play eight learning activities using their photos• Create personalized cards to email to family and friends• Show off photos and photo albums with voice captions and background music• Select one of six songs and direct a music video

The BonggaThis is the best accessory ever! The kids are having so much fun taking and personalizing photos. They love editing their photos by drawing on them, adding borders and cartoon stamps:

You can also use the photos to create greeting cards for various holidays and occasions. For instance, here's the card that Jammy created to wish everyone on Bonggamom Finds a Merry Christmas:

You don't even need an occasion; some of the card templates have superheroes, cheerleaders and other themes for everyday fun. Here's one that The Pea created just to annoy her brothers. Actually, on closer inspection, that's just 3Po, duplicated using the Mirror Image tool that comes with the Explorer Camera. Or it could be Jammy. When you're an identical twin, it doesn't really matter!

You can even make music videos with the videos you record! Finally, when you connect the Explorer to your computer using the Leapfrog Connect app, you can upload your photos to your hard drive so you can share your child's photo and video masterpieces with family and friends.

Entertaining as all that may be, this accessory goes one step further. Just like all Leapfrog products, the Camera and Video Recorder also adds an educational component -- kids can actually use their photos to play some learning activities!

The BlahThe camera takes a long time to start -- right after you tap on the camera icon to launch it, the Explorer screen blacks out without warning, and stays that way for about 20 seconds -- so don't freak out and think you've destroyed your Leapster! Also, I wish I could figure out how to specify the location that the Explorer saves your photos to (it creates a "Leapfrog" folder on your Shared Documents drive) and how to specify image quality. But then again, it's not supposed to be a DSLR, it's supposed to be a fun toy for kids!

The Bottom LineThe Camera and Video Recorder accessory for the Leapster Explorer opens up a whole new world of fun for your child!

Required entry:Leave a comment on this post and tell me what your child would do with the Leapster Explorer Camera & Video Recorder. This entry must be completed before any extra entries will count.

Extra EntriesFor extra entries, you can do any or all of the following. Please leave a separate comment on this post for each extra entry, with a way to verify the entry (i.e. tweet link, blog post link, blog comment link, Facebook id, Twitter id, etc.).

I entered Day 1 of the 12 Days of Christmas giveaways on Bonggamom Finds! One lucky winner will receive a Leapster Explorer Camera! http://www.bonggamom.com

3) Follow Bonggamom Finds on Blogger (1 entry).

4) Tweet this, up to once per day (1 entry per day, leave a comment with the tweet link for each tweet):

Day 1 of 12 Days of Christmas Giveaways on @bonggafinds: enter to win a Leapster Explorer camera fr @leapfrog! http://www.bonggamom.com #giveaway

5) Join any of my other 12 Days of Christmas giveaways (leave a comment with the name of the giveaway you joined, 1 entry per giveaway you've joined).

This giveaway ends at midnight PST on January 6, 2011; I will draw a winner at random on January 7 and post the winner's name as soon as the winner confirms acceptance. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

Welcome to Bonggamom's Friday Finds! I'm glad so many of you are finding this to be a useful way to get more traffic to your giveaways. And as a person who loves entering giveaways, I have to admit it's a great, easy way to find out where all the best giveaways are.

So feel free to leave links to your giveaways, everyone. And don't forget to get cracking and enter everyone else's, too!

If your family has ever watched Mythbusters on the Discovery Channel, you'll know this is no boring science kit. The Mythbusters don't do boring -- they uncover the truth behind popular myths and legends using the scientific method and their own ingenuity. Some of the myths the team has put to rest include:

* Can combining Diet Coke and Mentos make your stomach explode?* Would a bull really cause destruction in a china shop?* Is it possible to beat a lie detector test?* Can plugging your finger in a gun barrel cause it to backfire?* Is there a way to beat police speed cameras?* Can Christmas tree lights really cause house fires?* Is a dirty car more fuel efficient than a clean car?

Their show is a blast (sometimes literally!), so you can be sure that their science kits, while still introducing kids to some basic principles of physics, chemistry and other branches of science, are also a bit quirky, a bit offbeat, and a lot of fun.

Here's a description of the Mythbusters Science Kit we received (Power of Air Pressure):Have a blast with "The Deadly Belch" and other air-powered experiments. In this kit you'll get to the bottom of air pressure. You might not even notice the air around you, but it packs a powerful punch. Can it cause your stomach to explode? Will it help your bones predict the weather? If you get the air free, can you save your house during a tornado? This kit can help you understand these questions and many more!

The Discovery Channel's MythBusters find the truth behind urban legends using the scientific method and plenty of curiosity and ingenuity. Their unique, offbeat and often-explosive approach to science comes to a science kit that helps kids discover the powers of air pressure, while finding mythBusting answers to these questions:

* Can air cause your stomach to explode? * Will air help your bones predict the weather? * If you get the air free, can you save your house during a tornado?

Kids will discover the dangers of belching, find out if trains can float on air, and many more wonders with the Mythbusters.

What makes a Mythbusters Science Kit different is that the experiments in the kit are not presented as experiments, they are theories that the kids are going to prove or disprove, just like they do on the TV show. The instructions read like a kids' magazine -- they have lots of photos and fun facts, and they're written in a way kids will understand. They even have bonus experiments and activities for more hours of fun.

And boy, are they having fun with this kit! The marshmallow shooter (which helped understand the Myth of the Sorcerer's Breath, that you can make objects fly through the air by breathing) is a big hit:

I love that the kids had to build it themselves with interlocking pipes, and that it works like a blowgun, so it doesn't really look like some automatic weapon that happens to shoot marshmallows (actually, we didn't have any mini marshmallows, so we used the little pompoms that came in the kit, so it's a pompom shooter right now). I love that Myth Busters capitalized on my bloodthirsty sons' love of hitting targets in order to teach them a thing or two about air pressure!

Thanks to this Myth Busters Science Kit, The Pea is off making some vomit and my twins are busy shooting each other with little pompoms, and I'm happily ensconced in my little computer nook, happy in the knowledge that they're entertaining and educating themselves on this cold, rainy day!

Disclosure: I received a product sample, but was not paid to review the product or give my opinions. Product information is clearly indicated in italics. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Only four days till Christmas -- have you bought your stocking stuffers yet? As if I don't have enough to do, I devote a fair amount of time thinking about the "perfect" stocking stuffer. It should be small enough to fit in a stocking, inexpensive enough not to overshadow the "main" presents, sturdy and fun enough for the kids to enjoy for longer than a day (so I don't feel like I've thrown my money away on cheap junk). And the less calories, the better (it's not like there isn't enough candy and cookies already!).

I was recently introduced to a toy that actually fits the bill -- Cahooties. I was sent an assortment of Cahooties for my kids to enjoy and for me to review (they also gave me 30 Cahooties to help make it a brighter holiday season for the less fortunate members of the community -- isn't that nice of them? I'll be putting up a post one of these days detailing the organizations that benefited from their generous donation). Keep reading to see what we think of Cahooties, and to get a chance at winning some of your own.....

The BasicsCahooties are based on the classic paper fortune telling game -- they look like a paper fortune teller, but they're made of sturdy, laminated cardboard so you can use it again and again. Also, Cahooties don't just "tell" fortunes -- players also have to answer fun questions, learn interesting facts and complete silly dares. There are over 17 different kinds of Cahooties, with themes ranging from birthdays to best friends to arctic animals to politics. Although the majority are girl-themed, there's a Cahootie for everyone, including boys (they have a line of Animal Planet Cahooties), families and grownups!

Here's a brief description from Cahootie:Remember the homemade folded paper fortune teller game we all played as kids? Cahootie's award winning products have been developed to expand upon and enhance this timeless and iconic game that children have played around the world for generations to deliver fun, learning and connection among Tweens (kids ages 7-12) and their families and friends.

The BonggaCahooties are so much fun! They're colorful and shiny, so each one is sure to capture your child's fancy as easily as it did with my kids. They're easy to set up -- just select eight stickers (each containing a fortune, a fun fact, a question or an activity), stick them inside the folded game piece, and you're ready to play.

I love that each Cahootie comes with forty reusable stickers so you can play the game over and over using different stickers and not get bored. These Cahooties are really going to come in handy when we drive up to Tahoe in a couple of days! They're inexpensive enough so that you can actually buy each of your kids one of their own, or buy them a couple. There are so many different themes, there's sure to be one your child will love!

My kids particularly love the Truth or Dare, because it's so much fun to make each other do silly things. "Truth" stickers include having to share how many days you've ever gone without taking a bath or shower, the worst thing you've ever done, and most embarrassing moment. "Dare" stickers include writing your name with your toes, dancing around the room like a lunatic, and crowing like a rooster whenever someone says the word "Dare". Since there are extra stickers, game players can pre-select Truths and Dares so that no-one ends up with hurt or mortified feelings, and everyone has a great time!

Here's The Pea, standing on her head and singing Old McDonald Had a Farm!

The BlahInstead of keeping the Cahootie in its clear -- but bulky -- plastic box, I would rather have a sturdy envelope to store the Cahootie in so it takes up less space.

The Bottom LineCahooties are entertaining, inexpensive and sturdy -- in other words, the perfect stocking stuffer, party game, party favor and "just-because" present!

Win a Cahootie Party PackOne lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will win a Cahootie Party Pack, which includes the following Cahooties:

Required EntryLeave a comment on this post and tell me which Cahootie your child (or you!) would most love to play with. This entry must be completed before any extra entries will count.

Extra EntriesFor extra entries, you can do any or all of the following. Please leave a separate comment on this post for each extra entry, with a way to verify the entry (i.e. tweet link, blog post link, blog comment link, Facebook id, Twitter id, etc.).

7) Follow Club Cahootie on Twitter and tweet this, up to once per day (1 entry per day, leave a comment with the tweet link for each tweet):

Enter to win a Cahootie Party Pack from @clubcahootie ! Enter at @bonggafinds http://tinyurl.com/25cxwlv #giveaway

8) Join any open giveaway on Bonggamom Finds (1 entry for each other giveaway you join, please leave 1 comment for each giveaway you've joined)

The RulesThis giveaway ends at midnight PST on January 5, 2011; I will draw a winner at random on January 6. I will post the winner's name in the comments section after he/she confirms acceptance. Continental US residents only. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

Disclosure: I received a sample of Cahooties to facilitate my review. I did not receive monetary compensation for this post. Product information is provided by Cahooties and is clearly indicated as such. Thank you to Cahooties for providing the giveaway prize as well as a donation of 30 Cahootie toys for families at our local shelter and hospital. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

I love swag. I'm one of those bloggers you'll see at blogging conferences, feverishly stuffing swag into suitcases, spending $25 in extra airline baggage fees and $25 to ship home boxes of free stuff that would cost me $20 to buy at home. Yes, I'm what some people might call a swag wh*r3, um, lady of the night.

So is it any surprise that I'd be tickled pink when the Clever Girls Collective invited me to be a Brand Ambassador for a company actually called SWAGG?? After the SWAGG sponsored post I did a couple of days ago, I was selected to be a SWAGG Brand Ambassador so I could help spread the word about the coolest new shopping app to hit your smart phone since, well, ever.

Here's a description of the application / service from SWAGG:SWAGG has launched a new app that deals with the troublesome problem of how to deal with the overabundance of gift cards, loyalty & membership cards that clutter up your wallet or handbag. Basically you can load all those gift cards, loyalty points, etc into your iPhone or Android mobile device. Voila, now you can shop from your phone. Did I mention the app is free?Another cool thing is that the app allows you to "give or get." Wondering what to give your sister-in-law Stephanie? You can give a gift card directly from your mobile device. You can also enter your zip code upon downloading and get offers that are redeemable at stores in your area.

* You import your old-school plastic gift cards from over 200 merchants onto SWAGG, or purchase a SWAGG gift (i.e. a mobile credit you can use to purchase things at participating retailers through the SWAGG app).

* You enter a florist (or some other participating merchant) and find something you love.

* You line up to pay. The sales clerk scans your bouquet and says, "That will be $21.75, please".

* You bring up the SWAGG app on your phone and show it to the sales clerk.

* SHAZAM!! A tanned, muscular genie (looking surprisingly like Brad Pitt) pops out of your phone, hands $21.75 to the stunned sales clerk, and disappears back into your phone.

* Okay, I was lying about the genie part. What really happens is that the sales clerk scans your phone or types in the numbers, and $21.75 gets deducted from your SWAGG account.

Over the next couple of weeks I'll be playing around with SWAGG and letting you know what I think of it! I'm pretty sure a genie won't be popping out of my phone, but I have a feeling I'm going to have lots of fun with the app.

3. You’ll be giving to a good cause: for every download through December 31, 2010, SWAGG will donate $1 to Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C), a non-profit that funds cancer research, up to a total of $125,000.

5. You'll be helping me win a $100 SWAGG gift to give away on my blog! SWAGG is holding a Download Drive contest, and the SWAGG Brand Ambassador who gets the most readers to download will win a prize for herself as well as a $100 SWAG gift prize to give away here! If I do win and get the $100 (and as Cinderella's stepmother likes to say -- "IF. I said IF."), anyone who enters the $50 SWAGG giveaway below will receive an extra entry to that future $100 SWAGG giveaway!

6. You could win a $50 SWAGG gift prize right here! Keep reading.....

Win a $50 SWAGG Gift CreditOne lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will receive a $50 SWAGG gift! This is a credit that can be used with your SWAGG account. Please note, at this point the gift credit being awarded can be redeemed with the following participating merchant partners exclusively:

Then come back here and leave a comment with the phrase "I signed up for SWAGG!", and your SWAGG username. Please note, it is very important that you sign up using the link provided (http://bit.ly/theSWAGGapp) because it's a trackable link and we want to verify your signup.

Don't forget, you don't need to own an iPhone or Android device to sign up for a SWAGG account! You can sign up from your regular old web browser! (note, you will need to download the SWAGG app to your iPhone or Android device in order to use the SWAGG gift).

Extra entries1) Tweet this, up to once per day (1 entry per day, leave a comment with the tweet link for each tweet):

Download the SWAGG app and you could win a $50 SWAGG gift card! Enter by 12/31 on @bonggafinds http://tinyurl.com/33vkmyn #cleverswagg

2) Tweet this, up to once per day (1 entry per day, leave a comment with the tweet link for each tweet):

RT @bonggafinds Download the SWAGG app at http://bit.ly/theSWAGGapp thru 12/31/10, SWAGG will donate $1 to Stand Up To Cancer #cleverswagg

The RulesThis giveaway ends at midnight PST on December 31, 2010; I will draw a winner at random on January 1, 2011. I will post the winner's name in the comments section after he/she confirms acceptance. Continental US residents only. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

Additionally, I am providing the $50 SWAGG giftcard prize in this giveaway (it was partial compensation I received for a previous SWAGG-sponsored post). Download Drive, sweepstakes and charitable giving program information has been provided by the Clever Girls Collective.

Mornings are crazy for me, so I like to pull on a pair of yoga pants or leggings that look and feel good without too much effort. A couple of months ago I was given a pair of Tummy Control Boot Cut pants from The Girls, and it has joined my set of go-to wardrobe staples for school mornings, workouts and casual wear!

The BasicsThe Girls is a line of fitness apparel that have been seen on celebs like Ashley Tisdale, Lauren Conrad and Amanda Seyfried. Here's some information about The Girls:

The Girls is an amazing Fitness brand. They offer a special blu-tech fabric system constructed with the highest quality yarns and just the right formula of nylon and spandex, that helps to slim, shape and contour the body in just the right places. Found only in The Girls™ Tummy Control styles, this special power mesh system is discreetly placed inside the clothing invisible to the rest of the world so only you know it is there.

The BonggaI'm so happy I tried these pants! First of all, it comes in lots of colors, including chocolate brown, my favorite, which for some reason is super difficult to find. While I can't pretend that these pants make me look like Ashley Tisdale, I think they do a good job of smoothing out the midriff bulges. But more importantly, these are the comfiest fitness pants ever. Here I am at the Big Sur Half Marathon, wearing their Tummy Control Boot Cut Pant:

These pants felt great -- throughout the entire 13.1 miles, I didn't have to tug them up once. But they're not just for workouts; I wear them anytime and everywhere!

The BlahI find the bootcut pants rather short. I'm a wee bit above average height, 5 feet 8 inches, and I think they could stand to be about an inch longer.

The Bottom LineThe Girls line of fitness apparel feels great, looks great and comes at a very very reasonable price.

Disclosure: I received a product sample, but was not paid to review the product or give my opinions. Product information is provided by the featured company/product and is clearly indicated in italics. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

It's almost Christmas and the presents, they are a-comin'! Have you been naughty or nice? At Bonggamom Finds, it doesn't matter, because everyone gets a chance to win. My 12 Days of Christmas Giveaways event begins on December 25 and I'll be giving away one present for each of the 12 Days of Christmas:

To enter, visit Bonggamom Finds every day between December 25 and January 5, and leave a comment on the day's giveaway post. As always, I'll give everyone lots of extra ways to enter. Unlike most of my giveaways, these only last for 12 days -- which means less total entries, and a bigger chance for you to win!

To maximize your chances of winning, start by post my giveaway button on your site and you'll get an extra entry to each giveaway. Just copy the code below and paste it into your blog's sidebar, and you're all set.

Happy Holidays, and good luck!

Disclosure: I have not received any compensation for this post or for running this giveaway series. Bonggamom reserves the right to change any of the giveaway prizes, up until the giveaway start date. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Disclaimer

The opinions expressed on the Bonggamom Finds blog are the personal views of the author; any reviews or recommendations are not intended to constitute medical advice or treatment in any form. In addition, neither the Bonggamom Finds blog nor its author are liable, and cannot be held liable, for any dissatisfaction you may have with the product, sponsor or any injuries that may be caused by use of that product.

Posts on this blog routinely link out to other sites; I am not responsible and cannot be held liable for anything on those sites.

I occasionally receive samples of the products I review on this blog. I also occasionally accept monetary compensation for posts on this site. If and when I receive either product samples or compensation for writing a review post, this will be clearly stated in the body of the review post.